Michael Bunting signs $13.5 million contract to leave Leafs in free agency
Michael Bunting has found his new home — and it’s not with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After two seasons with his hometown team, the 27-year-old winger came off the free agency big boards on Saturday, signing a $13.5 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes over three seasons, per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
Carolina finalizing signing of Micheal Bunting, three years and $4.5M AAV per season@TSNHockey @TheAthletic
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2023
While it’s likely Bunting would’ve liked to stick around with Toronto, the realities of the team’s salary cap situation made it unlikely they’d be able to match his eventual contract.
Toronto, meanwhile, has gone the opposite direction, as they’re expected to sign journeyman enforcer Ryan Reaves on a multi-year contract today.
Bunting had 46 goals and 66 assists in 161 games for the Leafs over the course of the last two seasons, finding instant chemistry on the team’s top line while typically playing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
Bunting is one of Toronto’s best individual success stories over the last few decades, as the late-blooming forward originally signed with Toronto as a free agent making under $1 million per season after the Arizona Coyotes cut him loose in 2021. Going from a relatively unknown talent, Bunting actually earned a Calder Trophy nomination in his first season in Toronto as one of the NHL’s top rookies, as he’d yet to play more than 25 games in a single campaign so far.
Unfortunately for Bunting, his playoff experience wasn’t exactly the best one this year, despite Toronto’s success in winning their first playoff series in 19 years. In Game 1 of Toronto’s first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Bunting laid a devastating but reckless hit on Tampa Bay’s Erik Cernak that left the latter with a head injury.
Bunting was suspended three games for the collision, and sat out an extra game when Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe chose not to tinker with his team’s lineup once the winger was free from suspension. In seven total playoff games this spring, Bunting posted just two points — one goal and one assist — with a lack of scoring ultimately leading to Toronto’s demise in a second-round loss to the Florida Panthers.